To shift the structure of a sentence alters the meaning of that sentence, as definitely and inflexibly as the position of a camera alters the meaning of the object photographed.
Joan DidionRead
I found earthquakes, even when I was in them, deeply satisfying, abruptly revealed evidence of the scheme in action. That the schemes could destroy the works of man might be a personal regret but remained, in the larger picture I had come to recognize, a matter of abiding indifference. No eye was on the sparrow. No eye was watching me.
Interpretation
What this quote means
The quote reflects on the indifference of nature towards human existence, suggesting that while human creations may be destroyed, it is part of a larger, indifferent reality.
Joan Didion's quote conveys a profound sense of understanding regarding the relationship between humanity and the forces of nature. It suggests that even in the face of catastrophic events like earthquakes, there is a comfort in recognizing the indifference of the universe. While human endeavors may be transient and subject to destruction, this acknowledgment leads to a freeing realization that not everything is under our control, and that existence is a matter of larger schemes beyond individual significance. The line 'No eye was on the sparrow' emphasizes the idea that nature is not concerned with human affairs or suffering.
Themes
EarthquakesIndifferenceNatureExistenceHumanity
In practice
Example use cases
In an essay reflecting on the unpredictability of life and nature.
More from Joan Didion
All quotes →The truth is, it's easier for me to write than talk... to express the state I'm in at any time.
Joan DidionRead
Memories are what you no longer want to remember.
Joan DidionRead
It was clear, for example, in 1988 that the political process had already become perilously remote from the electorate it was meant to represent.
Joan DidionRead
I mean maybe I was holding all the aces, but what was the game?
Joan DidionRead
Do not whine... Do not complain. Work harder. Spend more time alone.
Joan DidionRead
Similar quotes
In this constant battle which we call living, we try to set a code of conduct according to the society in which we are brought up, whether it be a Communist society or a so-called free society; we accept a standard of behaviour as part of our tradition as Hindus or Muslims or Christians or whatever we happen to be.
Jiddu KrishnamurtiRead
We've learned how to destroy, but not to create; how to waste, but not to build; how to kill men, but not how to save them; how to die, but seldom how to live.
Omar N. BradleyRead
The future is always present, as a promise, a lure and a temptation.
Karl PopperRead
I've been thinking of death a lot, and I am amazed by its inevitability, frightened, as we all are, of the totally unknown, and yet feel a long sleep is somehow earned by those of us who live on the edge.
Jackson PollockRead
God is not present in idols. Your feelings are your god. The soul is your temple.
ChanakyaRead
To give alms is nothing unless you give thought also.
John RuskinRead